Queens House Greenwich

With this elegant house Inigo Jones introduced Palladian style to England. Commissioned by King James I for his wife, Anne of Denmark, it was a garden villa to complement the Tudor palace at Greenwich. Completed in 1635 during the turbulent years before the English Civil War, Charles I gave it to his queen, Henrietta Maria. It survived the destruction of the Tudor palace by Cromwell’s army to become the focal point around which Wren created the grand architectural landscape that is Greenwich today.

Special features of the House are the ‘Tulip Staircase’, the cubic Great Hall and a logia and orangery opening onto Greenwich Park with fine views of Wren’s unusual Flamsteed House (the Royal Observatory) and Vanburgh’s castle on Maze Hill.

The House now displays a series of historical paintings portraying the history of these Greenwich buildings and portraits of Tudor and Stuart kings and queens associated with its history. Rooms and galleries throughout the building are a fine setting for several superb maritime art collections which are held by the National Maritime Museum. New artists and photographers are showcased through modern art and touring exhibitions. Restaurant facilities are in the adjacent National Maritime Museum.